More and more parents are viewing the Apple Watch as a great investment for their children.

The Apple Watch provides simple and easy communication between parents and their children, making the smartwatch a smart purchase. 😉

Here’s what parents across the country have to say…

Mr. Fangohr, a 47-year-old product designer in Seattle, said he was aware that many people were pessimistic about technology’s creep into children’s lives. But “within the framework of the watch, I don’t feel scared,” he said. “I want him to explore.”

Felix, a rising third grader, said he actually wanted a smartphone. “But the watch is still really, really nice,” he said.

Throughout the United States, parents buying Apple Watches for their children, with some being as young as 5-years-old.

Parents can reach and track their children with Apple Watches and it’s better than a phone in their eyes, which creates other problems and distractions including internet and gaming addiction.

via Apple.com

 

Children and teens are a huge market for smart watches.

A survey of American teens in 2020 showed that 31% of teens owned a smart watch.

That same year, 21% of adults in the United States said they owned a smart watch, according to the Pew Research Center.

The use of smart watches as a children’s gadget shows how the audience for a product may change in unexpected ways.

The Apple Watch was originally marketed as fitness tracker, a fashion piece, or a way to free yourself from an iPhone but has now evolved into a more conventional product for children and teens.

In 2020, Apple launched the Apple Watch SE, which has fewer features than a premium model and was sold for $120 less than the standard model.

To cater to this age group and parents who make the purchases, Apple created the software called “Family Setup,” which allows parents to track their children’s locations, manage their contacts, and limit their notifications.

Apple plans to compete more aggressively soon for young smart watch customers. At an event on Wednesday, it is set to release a new version of the Apple Watch that is cheaper than the Apple Watch SE, the two people said. The model will be introduced alongside other new versions of the watch, including a high-end wearable for serious athletes that will rival fitness trackers made by its competitor Garmin, they said.

Apple referred to a statement from Jeff Williams, the chief operating officer, who said, “For family members who do not have an iPhone, Apple Watch offers a remarkable set of features that can help them keep in touch with loved ones, be more active and stay safe.” The company declined to comment on the new watches at its coming event.

Being that smart watches have minimal apps and no web browser or camera, children are less likely to be use games or other adult content according to Williams.

“Lots of little boys and girls are crazy about watches, particularly smartwatches—and that includes my 7-year-old son,” says Sarah Vanbuskrik. She adds,

“Most parents, like me, aren’t comfortable spending hundreds of dollars on an elementary student’s high-tech bling, especially when that bling allows for easy, unlimited access to gaming and more.”

Smart watches are inherently limited in their abilities, said Jim Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews technology and media for families. “You want to be able to contact them, but you don’t want them spending all day on a screen,” Mr. Steyer said.




Jon Desi and his wife recently used an Apple Watch SE as “training wheels” for a smartphone for their daughter, Catie, when she was 10-years-old.

When Catie started playing outside more at the beginning of the pandemic, they couldn’t find an “old-style phone” so their daughter would have more freedom to venture around their neighborhood in Hunt Valley, Md., they said. They opted for an Apple Watch instead.

“We wanted to give her a way to communicate without giving her Pandora’s box at the age of 10,” Mr. Desi said.

But the watch came with a stipulation: Catie had to charge it and wear it regularly, answer when they called and text back in a reasonable amount of time to receive a smartphone. It became “the carrot to enforce responsible behaviors,” Mr. Desi said.

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Hand Me Down Technology

In July, he and his wife purchased an iPhone for Catie, now 11, and handed her Apple Watch down to their 10-year-old son, Tommy. When their 5-year-old daughter, Ellie, is older, they will be handing down the Apple Watch again.

“I had wanted it for a little while, and I was trying to earn it,” Tommy said. “It always looks cool when someone has it.”

Are smart watches a smart investment for children?

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